Window-shade.



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WINDOW SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1909.

1,038,005. P ented Sept. 10,1912.

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WINDOW SHADE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1909,

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

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UNITED STATES WILLIS S. SHAFT, OF FARIB AULT, MINNESOTA.

WINDOW-SHADE.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912 Application filed November 4, 1909. Serial No. 526,206.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIS S. SHAFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Faribault, in the county of Rice and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Window- Shades; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its especial object to provide an improved window shade, and to.

this end, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

{[n the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several Views.

Referring to the drawings,-Figure 1 is a. View in elevation looking at the inner side of a window frame and showing one of my improved shades applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken on the line a v. of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail showing one of the devices used for securing the ends of the shade guides to the window frame; Fig. 4 is a View corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing the shade drawn to its full length so as to completely close the window opening; and Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the shade dropped completely to the bottom of the window opening. v

The window frame is indicated as an entirety by the numeral 1. Extending from top to bottom of the window frame, near the sides thereof, is a .pair'of tightly drawn parallel shade guides 2, preferably made from small steel wire. 'The ends of these guide wires 2 are assed through small axial perforations in t e heads of screw eyes 3 and inside of the annular heads of said screw eyes are provided knots or heads 4 that prevent them from being drawn out of the said screw eyes and, at the same time, permit swivelin movements of the said screw eyes on t e said guide wires. The threaded stems; of the screw eyes 3 are screwed into the top and bottom port-ions of the window frame and, when screwed in to the proper extent, put the said guide wires under proper tension and, at the same time, do not twist the said wires. The window shade proper is indicated by the numeral 5 and is of some suitable flexithe upper portion of ble material, preferably fabric or cloth. Near 1ts verticaledges, the shade 5 is pro vlded with properly spaced metal eyelets 6, through which the guide wires 2 are alternately passed, first in one] direction and then in another, so that the shade, when drawn together, will form an' accordion plant and, hence, occupy a minimum of space. Small cleats 7 preferably of wood, are'secured to the upper and lower edges of the shade 5 and the lower ends of adjusting cords 8 and 9 are attached to interme-' diate portions ofthe upper and lower cleats 7, respectively. The cleats 7 are preferably provided with laterally projecting screw eyes 10, through which the guide wires 2 are also passed. The adjusting cords 8 and 9 are passed upward through a guide eye 11 secured to the intermediate upper portion of the window frame. The cord 8 is also passed through a guide eye 12 on the lefthand upperportion of the window frame 1, while the cord 9 is passed through a similar guide eye 13 on the upper ri'ghthand portion of the window frame 1. The depending ends of said guide cords are adapted to be ,frictionally held by s lit pins or fingers 14 secured on the sides 0 the window frame at a point within easy reach of the person standing upon the floor adjacent to the window. \Vhen the cord 9 is released, the lower portion of the shade 5 will drop to the window sill and then, by drawing on the cord 8, the shade may be stretched to the top of the window opening, thereby causing the shade to completely close the window opening. When the cord 9 is released or adjustedto permit the lower portion of the shade to drop to the window sill, the upper portion of the shade may be raised to any desired height. When the up per ortion. of the shade 1s drawn to the top of tlie window opening, by means of the cord 8, the lower portion thereof may be dropped to any desired extent; and, as is evident, by properly drawing on the two cords 8 and 9, the shade may be adjusted to any desired intermediate position, such, for instance, as shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that the shade described is capable of universal adjustment so far as'vertical directions are concerned and may be used to close more or less of the upper, lower or in termediate portions of the window opening.

Fig. 4 shows the shade drawn to its full length so as to completely close the window opening, dropped window opening, 1n which position it projects but little, if any, above the lower portion of the lower window sash. Obviously the shade may be folded together at the very top of the window opening.

This improved shade has the important advantage. over ordinary shades in that it is, at all times, securely held at its edges so that it cannot be blown about by the wind.

A shade of the kind above described will be found generally useful as a'shade, both for windows and for screens on porches and the like. The flexible body of the shade, when made large and for outdoor exposure, such as when used for a porch screen, will preferably be made of light canvas or ducking, but when used for windows will be made of lighter cloth and grades ranging from silk to cotton, depending upon the extent of ornamentation or the grade of work desired.

WV hat I claim is:

1. In a window shade, the combination of vertically extended guide wires rigidly secured to the top and bottom of the window frame, a flexible shade having holes through which said guide wires are alternately passed from one side to the other thereof, stiffening cleats a plied to the upper and lower ends of said shade, independent adjusting cords attached to said upper and lower stiffening cleats, a guide at the top of the window frame through which both of said cords are passed, and means for securing said cords in different adjustments to hold the said shade in various raised, lowered and intermediate positions, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a window frame, of screw eyes applied to theupper and lower portions thereof, guide wires passed through axial perforations in the said u per and lower screw eyes and provided with heads within the screw eyes whereby said wires are kept taut, a flexible shade having eyelets through which said guide wires are alternately passed from one side to the other, stiffening cleats on the upper and lower edges of said shade also having guides through which said wires are passed, adjusting cords independently attached to said upper and lower cleats, guides on the upper portion of said window framethrough which said cords are-passed, and means on said frame for securing the said cords in different adjustments, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIS s. SHAFT.

Witnesses:

A. L. FAGER, WM. RANT. 

